


Tricksters and Angels

by D3v3l12h4ng3l



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Demonstuck, F/F, Fluff and Angst, I Suck At Tags lol, Jake Is Proper, John Is Kind Of A Douchebag, M/M, Rating May Change, So Many Fucking Characters - Freeform, more characters will be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-25
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-05-23 02:03:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6101190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/D3v3l12h4ng3l/pseuds/D3v3l12h4ng3l
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's only one rule: don't trust strangers.  </p><p>Demons. Jake English has always been fight them. Along with his cousin Jane and the infamous Lalondes, he seeks to eradicate the evil from our world. When they discover what may be the secret to permanently stopping the most powerful race demons, they can hardly believe their luck.  </p><p>So what happens when a certain raven-haired trickster comes along for the ride?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for clicking on this! It's a bit of a work in progress, so please bear with me!
> 
> I came up with the idea for this while reading a Vampire!John x Dave story I found on here, and decided to do a partially similar Demonstuck version of it. Demonstuck is my favorite AU, and I'm happy to finally have a decent idea for it!
> 
> Also, I apologize if the characters seem slightly ooc, I'm trying my best.

The demon languidly circled him, the silver chain around its neck glinting teasingly. Both of his hands clenched his pistols tightly, ready to fire at any moment. A lock of black hair was in his face. He blew it away, trying not to let his gaze leave the foul creature before him. Another of the beings lay dead in a corner, already disintegrating into a pile of ash. 

 

Things weren't looking good, Jake English decided. Already, one of his teammates was down for the count. Roxy Lalonde had been injured in the primary attack, although admittedly she should have been prepared. Despite the fact that the demons had been cleverly disguised as another demon-fighting couple, she should have been armed. If he survived this, Jake would definitely reprimand her. 

 

At that moment, the demon lunged, forcing Jake's mind into survival mode. He darted back, trying desperately to avoid the dark red claws on its hands. As he began the delicate struggle of staying alive, Jake prayed for help to come. Jane Crocker, his cousin, had gone to make sure there were no more demons around, but he had no idea where Roxy's sister Rose was. 

 

His concentration broken by his silent plea, the demon took the opportunity it saw and jumped forward, raking its claws down his shoulder and arm. Immediately, a burning sensation flared through the muscle, and he yelled in pain. 'Damn!' He thought. 'I've been poisoned!' He dropped into a crouch as the creature came at him again. Three bullets went into its stomach. 

 

It howled, falling onto him. He yelped as the thing lifted its head, baring its teeth in a horrifying snarl. He scrambled wildly for use of one of his arms, to shoot it again. The ravenous demon screeched at him, sending flecks of slobber into his face. Despite his imminent death, he found room in his brain to be disgusted. Couldn't the thing at least clean its teeth? 

 

Jaws blurred through his vision as the head of the demon came closer. Before he could scream, or do anything at all really, there was a loud crack and it lurched to the side. He shoved the thing off of him and jumped to his feet. It had been shot through the side of the head, a killshot. Looking around, he saw a familiar blond head peering at him front atop a platform. He grinned and waved. "Alright, Rose?" He shouted. 

 

The girl nodded and backed up a few steps. He noticed that behind her stood a slightly shorter girl with the same dark hair as himself, although hers was cut into something resembling a bob. She wore light blue pants and a grey shirt. She smiled down at him. "Hi, Jake!" She chirped. 

 

Rose, meanwhile, took a running start at the platform railing and flipped herself over the edge, landing neatly in her feet. She turned and held her arms out right as Jane came down, steadying the younger girl as she landed on her feet as well. The two girls picked their way over to Jake. "That was the last of them," she said. "Do you have what we came for?" 

 

Jake turned back to the half-rotted corpse and knelt, grabbing the chain around its neck and tugging until it snapped free. "We do now," he told her, handing her the bottle the chain had held. "Can we go now? Nasty bugger poisoned me, and I'll need the antidote soon." 

 

Jane gasped quietly, while Rose agreed that they should leave. "There are no more currently, as far as my senses tell me," she admitted. Jake shuddered. Any demon that the younger Lalonde couldn't sense would have to be powerful indeed. "However, reinforcements may arrive." 

 

Jane took Jake's arm, and together they followed Rose outside, where their dumpy little van was waiting. Roxy was in the passenger seat, waving at them, with a bandage wrapped around her head. Rose stuffed Jake into the backseat, climbed into the driver's seat, and started the long drive home. They were almost an hour from their base, and it was starting to get dark. 

 

Jake stared out the window as the streets and people rolled past. He was fascinated, as always, about the humans out there who couldn't see the evil among them, who saw nothing out of the ordinary. His grandmother had told him long ago that being able to see the vicious creatures they called demons was a blessing. He didnt think of it that way, though. Just as a thankless, payless job. A chore, almost. 

 

He couldn't deny that he loved it, though. He loved the adrenaline rush, the spark of power he felt when they were hunting. He loved helping evil out of the world. One day, he supposed, his love of seeking out fights with the beasts would get him killed. For now, however, he was content with his stupid obsession. A gentle hand on his shoulder threw him back into the present, as Jane shook him. "We're back," she said. He blinked in surprise. Had an hour truly passed already? "You passed out at some point. Come on. Rose needs to treat you." She helped him out of the van, then left his side to help Roxy. The two had always been thicker than thieves, as his grandmother had once put it. 

 

Hobbling up the steps to the old manor that was their headquarters, Jake became aware of a strange pressure in his head. He held out his uninjured arm to stop Rose from passing. "Be careful," he warned her. "My head is buzzing." She nodded, and slung her rifle off of her back. She led the way into the house. 

 

It looked as it always did, dusty and gloomy. Only now, there seemed to be an almost ominous feel to the air. The dirty old chair by the front door had been moved, so that it now stood on the other side of the entryway. Rose huffed and moved it back. They continued through the house, Roxy and Jane close behind. 

 

Other objects were similarly messed up, being moved by mere inches or placed in new rooms entirely. Roxy's laptop was missing, to top it all off. Jake and Jane got Roxy situated in their improvised hospital room while Rose went off to fetch bandages and Jake's much needed antidote. The poison was starting to take a tool; he had to sit down once Roxy was in bed. 

 

Despite the fact that his arm was bleeding freely and turning a nasty shade of gray, rapidly going black, he made the girls tend Roxy first, saying he could wait. In truth, he wanted to go explore the rest of the manor for more inconsistencies. The buzzing in his head had decreased, but only slightly. 

 

His adventure was shot down. As he made to stand, dizziness overtook him and the buzzing shot to dangerously high levels, forcing him to his knees. His vision went black, and he may have yelled. He couldn't tell. 

 

The next thing he was aware of was a sharp pain on the inside of his elbow. Hands slapped his face gently. "Jakey? Jake!" Roxy, he thought vaguely. "Help me get him up." He was being lifted, settled in a chair. "Jakey, can ya hear me?" He felt his head bob a little, but it seemed automatic. "Good, he's comin' to. Looks like the poison tried to do him in. Lucky ya noticed, lil' sis." 

 

Jake forced his eyes open to see all three of the girls hovering by him, looking worried. "What happened?" He rasped out. His throat felt like sandpaper. 

 

Jane went to get him a cup of water. "Ya collapsed, Jakey," Roxy told him. "The poison hit critical stage. Rose noticed ya fall, and stabbed ya in the arm with her needle." She clapped Jake hard on the back. "Don't pull that again, Jakey, ya hear?" He had to laugh as he agreed. 

 

Once Jane had returned, she knelt down next to him and started cleaning his wound while Rose coaxed her sister back into bed. "I felt a presence," she confided quietly. Her cousin gave a start. "As we were coming inside. There was someone in here, or out there. I suspect that they may be behind the buzzing in your head." A visitor who made Jake's head buzz? That had never happened before. His head usually only hummed when there was trouble nearby, but he supposed that maybe his abilities were finally expanding. 

 

The going was silent after that. Rose cleaned and rebandaged Roxy's head, while Jane did likewise for Jake's arm. Once Roxy was taken care of and fast asleep, Rose came over holding a needle. Wordlessly, Jake held out his arm. She stuck the tip into his wrist and pushed slowly, injecting the antidote into his bloodstream for the second time that night. "I'll have to make more of this soon," she told the cousins. "I'm almost out." That was a troubling thought. They used Rose's antidotes far too often. If she ran out, they would be in serious trouble. 

 

Jake decided to change the subject. "Have you had a chance to look at that bottle yet?" He asked. He, like the rest, was curious to know if it truly held information about the rarest demons of all. 

 

Rose shook her head, smiling ruefully. "I have not had the chance," she said. She ruffled Jane's hair, who batted her hand away with a blush on her cheeks. "I will look it over tomorrow morning, but I believe this paper truly holds the information we've been seeking on them. But for now, I plan to go to bed." 

 

Jane nodded, yawning. "I'm gonna retire, as well." She stood, patting Jake on the shoulder. "Don't lay on that too long, alright? Goodnight." She vanished into the depths of the manor, heading toward her small cluster of rooms. 

 

Jake, too, suddenly noticed how tired he was. He wobbled to his feet and left the room, bidding Rose good dreams. He made his way up the stairs in the foyer and took a left, down the hallway to his own section of the manor. Once in his room, he pulled off his bloodstained clothes and fell into bed, sighing as he relaxed into the cool sheets. As sleep tugged his eyes shut, he found himself wishing the information on the paper held true on what they all wished for. 

 

A way to permanently rid the earth of the most powerful demon race known to man, the trickster demon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Already 26 hits on this? I wasn't expecting such a large number. Thank you to the people who commented as well, that's really sweet!

The next morning saw Jake still asleep, oblivious to his cousin's slightly off-key voice belting up the stairs. The clock next to his bed read 9:47 am. Rose and Roxy were in the sick unit, while Jane was in the kitchen making waffles, singing along to Bon Jovi. 

 

Jake himself, meanwhile, was in the clutches of a rather bizarre dream, such as he got from time to time. In his dream, he was standing in the middle of a clearing, in a beautifully green forest. He wasnt alone, though. Jake was surrounded on all sides by dark creatures, faceless demons. Their features were blurred, except for one. This particular demon was wearing the disguise of a dark-haired teenage boy, with thick glasses and a knowing grin. He was also holding Jake's left hand. The demon boy was trying to say something, but every time he opened his mouth, all that came out was a high-pitched ringing noise, sharp enough to shatter glass. 

 

The fifth time the boy attempted to speak, the ringing woke Jake up. It was still in his head. The sound grew to a scream, so loud and so high that he was clutching his skull. It increased again, and both of the windows in his room blasted apart, sending glass shards everywhere. 

 

There was a shout downstairs, and multiple pairs of feet thundered up the stairs. Jane shoved open his bedroom door, gasping as she took in the damage. "Holy smokes!" She exlaimed. She looked over at Jake, who was cautiously lowering his hands from his head. "What did you do?" 

 

"I did nothing," Jake defended himself crossly. "There was some sort of screeching noise in my hand, and both the windows just shattered." Jane huffed. "I swear, I wasn't throwing things around this time! But it's funny," he muttered, staring at the window by his bed thoughtfully. "I was having a dream, and the noise was there, too." 

 

Jane rolled her eyes and went back downstairs, while Jake put on his sneakers and started sweeping up the mess. He kept trying to puzzle out what he'd been dreaming, but he couldn't quite remember. Finally, he shrugged and got dressed. It was still warm enough for shorts, but there was a nip in the air, so he settled for a t-shirt rather than a tank top. He threw away the glass on his way downstairs. 

 

Rose was already at the island when he arrived in the kitchen, looking as pristine as ever. She had in her hands a small roll of paper maybe as long as her first finger. She kept it by her plate as she ate her waffles, which she'd drowned in syrup and sugar as always. Jane was still at the stove, and Roxy was nowhere to be seen. Jake took a seat. "Where's Rox?" He asked. 

 

"Bedrest, three days," Rose answered, not looking up. With one hand she smoothed the paper out on the desk to reveal two lines of script in an unknown language. She cursed. "Now we know why they had it with them." 

 

A plate landed in front of Jake as Jane came up behind him. "What is it, Rose?" She asked. Jake got up to fetch the strawberries. "Something bad?" 

 

"As bad as it could get in the language department," Rose fumed. She looked clearly agitated. "I could translate if it were in Latin, or Greek, or Gaelic, or even some made up television gobbledygook. No, it just had to be a demon language!" She sighed. 

 

"Demons have written language?" Jake asked, returning to the table with a handful of sliced strawberries. Rose glared at him as if he were an imbicile. 

 

"They have six different written languages," Jane explained. "I can translate one, Roxy and Rose can translate three. I don't know how you didn't know that, Jake." Her hands were in her hips as she looked at him. He just shrugged as he ate. She groaned. "Whatever. I've never even seen this one before. Maybe we could find a translator?" 

 

No sooner than the words had left her lips, a blood-curdling scream came from outside. Jake toppled off of his chair. Jane grabbed a knife, then hauled Jake up and forced one into his hands. Rose grabbed a massive skewer, and the three darted for the front yard. 

 

There were at least five of the damn things, snarling, angry demons. They were clustered around something. Or rather, someone. Jake caught a glimpse of blue before Rose was charging into the fray, slashing and stabbing. Jane followed shortly after, taking down two of the things by herself. Jake grasped the person in the middle and hauled them out before they could be hurt worse. 

 

Well away from the fight, Jake examined his new charge. A boy, staring up at him with large eyes. He couldn't have been older than Jake. He had a shock of untidy black hair, and his eyes were the purest blue Jake had ever seen. He looked scared, and his blue hoodie was in bloody tatters. 

 

"Are you alright?" Jane asked. She had come up behind them, Rose tailing her. They had already dispatched the demons. Jake felt faintly guilty. "Oh, gosh, you're hurt! Rose, we have to take him inside!" 

 

Rose and Jake helped the kid up, surprised to find he could walk without support. They brought him inside, and into the sick unti. Roxy was sitting up, awakened by the noise maybe. 

 

"Here." Rose eased the kid down into a chair. "Where are you hurt?" She turned around, rummaging through her med kit. 

 

"My back," the kid said. He didn't look as frightened as before. He looked up at Jake. "W-What were those things? Why did they attack me?" 

 

Roxy cocked her head. "That's what we wanna know," she replied. "What's your name, kid?" 

 

The boy bristled. "I'm not a kid!" He spat. "I'm fifteen!" He ducked his head as Rose told him to remove his hoodie and shirt, mutely doing as he was instructed. Hissing as Rose's disinfectant came in contact with his bloodied back, he grabbed the first thing he could. This happened to be Jake's hand. 

 

Jake yelped as the kid's fingers almost crushed his own. "Blimey!" He exclaimed. "He's strong!" They still hadn't learned his name, and it didn't seem like he was willing to give it. 

 

The boy let go of his hand quickly, hissing at the burning feeling in his back. 'Man,' he thought, 'I haven't been in this much pain in years!' The others were oblivious to his thoughts, chatting above him. 

 

"We can't turn him away, Roxy," Jane was arguing. "Those demons were after him! You saw how vicious they were!" She huffed. "They might try to harm him again!" 

 

"I know, Jane, but ya know how we operate," Roxy said, resigned. "He might be dangerous, and ya know our rule. We don't even know his name. So far, he ain't been very helpful. I ain't taking someone on if he can't pull his own weight." She crossed her arms stubbornly. 

 

Rose alone heard the boy mutter out his name, perhaps trying to persuade her sister. "Roxy," she spoke up. "His name is John." Jake glanced between the girls. 

 

"See? We know his name now." Jane pounced. "Oh, please, Roxy? I don't want a normal getting hurt. Besides, maybe he can help our investigation!" She put on her signature pout, and Roxy found she couldn't say no. She sighed, and Jane squealed and threw her arms around the other girl. "Great!" 

 

Jake looked down at the boy. "John, was it?" He asked. "Come with me. We'll find a room for you." John nodded and clambered to his feet. Jake grabbed his hoodie for him. "I'll wash this for you." 

 

"You don't have to do that," John protested. He pushed his glasses - somehow unbroken - up his nose. "I know how to use a washing machine." 

 

"I'm sure you do. I'm just trying to be nice. It seems like you'll be here until we figure out what they wanted with you." Jake led the boy upstairs. He didn't think Jane would mind dividing the second floor into three instead of two. 

 

"Yeah, what were those things? All I saw was blurs," John admitted. "Were they rabid dogs or something?" He stared at the taller boy in front of him. They had similar dark hair and figures, but otherwise they seemed nothing alike. 

 

Jake scratched the back of his neck. "Erm... They were demons, actually," he said slowly. He stopped in front of a door. John gaped at him like a fish, and Jake chuckled. "Don't catch flies," he teased. John's mouth shut with an audible snap. "I know, it's a lot to take in. But yes, demons are real. Yes, we hunt them. No, we have no clue why they'd hunt a norm. Any other questions?" 

 

"What's a norm?" John asked. He looked past Jake at the door. The older boy took the hint and pushed it open, revealing a modest but comfortable bedroom. "And how come you can see them, but I can't?" 

 

"Excellent questions, chap. A norm is what we call normal people, humans that can't see the nightime nasties. I've always been able to see demons, since I was a child. The Lalondes and Jane can see them as well." He smiled warmly. "Now, I believe that's enough chatter. I'll let you get settled in, alright?" He turned to go. "Oh, and by the way, welcome to our dysfunctional little family." He exited. 

 

John watched him go, then closed the door softly. There, alone and unwatchable in his new room, he spun in a circle, laughing. Oh, was this ever going to be fun!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amazingly, this thing is coming along better than I'd dared hope. It's not perfect, but I actually like it, so yay. Anyway, thanks for reading this! This chapter ain't very long, but hopefully the next one will be.

The four had a meeting downstairs as soon as Jake returned from showing John his room. Although it was more of an argument than a meeting. The discussion got so heated that Jane excused herself to go make lunch, which Jake knew she did when she was upset. 

 

"I know he could be dangerous, Roxy," Rose argued. For once, it seemed, she didn't agree with her older sister. "But the boy is injured. And I, for one, am curious as to why the demons were hunting him." 

 

"He might be able to help us," Jake chimed in. The sisters looked at him. "Demons wouldn't want him dead for no reason. Maybe he has information, and was attempting to locate us." 

 

Roxy considered it, though she knew Jake could be right. No one lurked outside of their place without a good reason; the mansion was downright scary to outsiders. "Well, I guess so. But we gotta watch him." 

 

"I agree," Rose said. "I suggest we take turns. I volunteer to go first, if that's alright." She stood up from the chair she'd been perched upon. "I will bring him down when Jane is done cooking." She disappeared before either of them could say a word. 

 

Roxy sighed. "She's gonna get herself hurt, one of these days," she told Jake. He said nothing, although he knew it was true. "Aw well, let's worry about that later. Help me up, Jakey, I'm starvin'!" 

 

Jake chuckled and help haul his friend to her feet. Together, they made their way to the kitchen. Jane was standing by the sink, rinsing off a few potatoes. She looked over at their arrival. "Hey," she said cheerfully. "I'm making scalloped potatoes, okay?" 

 

Roxy grinned. "Hell, that's my favorite, Janey. I'm fine with it. Oh!" She had just noticed Jake's grimace. "What's wrong?" 

 

Jane's brow furrowed. "Jake? Are you alright?" She put the potatoes in the colander and came over. "Is it your head?" She asked quietly. 

 

Jake nodded. He rubbed his temple. "It's been buzzing since I woke up," he explained. "I think that ringing sound caused it." 

 

Roxy perked up. "Ringing?" When Jake nodded, she paled. "Oh, that's not good. Jakey, what were you-" 

 

"Hello?" John's voice came from the stairs. He appeared a moment later. His black hair was wet, and his glasses were hanging askew. "Um, can someone help me, please?" Jake noticed that the poor kid was trembling. "I don't know what happened, I just-" 

 

"Slow down, please," Jane said soothingly, Jake's problem temporarily forgotten. "What happened?" 

 

John shook his head frantically. "I didn't do it, I swear! She just fell down!" The others all looked rather alarmed by this statement. "She tried to touch me, and she collapsed! And then the window shattered..." 

 

Roxy cursed and wrenched herself out of Jake's grasp, then took off toward the staircase. Jane huffed and grabbed her kitchen knife before following. "Watch him!" She yelled. Jake blinked before turning toward John. 

 

Now that he really had the chance to look at the boy, he found that they could probably pass as brothers. While John was shorter than Jake, they had the same body structures, and even similar facial features. Features that included the sky-blue eyes currently staring at him. 

 

Jake let out an embarrassed little cough, then gestured for John to sit. The boy obliged, while Jake took out another knife and started slicing the potatoes. "How did you get all the way out here?" He asked. "Our mansion is pretty far from town." 

 

John scratched the back of his neck, hesitating as though he were thinking. "My sister and I were at a bonfire with some friends last night," he finally said. "Summertime, you know? Everyone was falling asleep. I almost went to sleep too, but I. I heard this growling noise. I got up to investigate, and then this-" He shuddered. "This thing jumped out at me. I started running. I was so close to getting away, but the thing had friends. They circled around me. One of them bit my leg, and I remember screaming. And then you guys found me." 

 

"That sounds terrifying," Jake sympathized. "But why didn't you tell us that one of the demons bit you?" He dumped the potato slices into the pot of water on the stove, and cranked the heat up. 

 

"I didn't really feel it again until I had to think about it," John admitted sheepishly. "Now it kind of hurts, but it didn't earlier." He reach ed down and began rolling up his bloody pant leg. On his right calf was a vicious-looking bite. 

 

Jake whistled and wet a rag. "That's rather nasty, chap," he said. "You haven't felt any dizziness or burning in your leg? No sensations of something trying to claw your leg off?" 

 

John took the rag Jake offered, and began to clean his leg with it. "None," he confirmed. "It just hurt like a bitch- er, sorry." 

 

"It's fine," came a voice. The boys looked toward the hall to see Roxy, with Jane behind her. "We cuss all the time round here, ain't that right, Janey?" Jane nodded a bit too vigorously. "Well, I dunno what made the window shatter like that, but I think the sis is just exhausted. I don't think she slept last night. Makin' more antidote, ya know?" 

 

"That's two windows in one day," Jake mused. "Maybe we've got a tail, some sort of bugger with a grudge?" He stepped back as Jane took over the potatoes. "Wouldn't be the first time, after all." 

 

Roxy shrugged. "Why would some bad ass demon have a grudge with us? We don't tangle with the big baddies, remember?" She had a point. 

 

"It was probably whatever upper demon wanted John," Jane said. "He's lucky those demons didn't poison him, though. Rose's new batch hasn't set yet." She poured in a few cups of various cheeses and stirred. "Jake used the last of it yesterday." 

 

"Poison?!" John squeaked. He looked down at his leg with worry evident on his face. 

 

"Rose will want to dose me again when she wakes up," Jake acknowledged. "And yes, poison. You must be immune, because otherwise you'd be dead from that bite. You should let one of us wrap it up for you, clean it to prevent infection." John hesitated, then nodded. 

 

"I'll take the kid," Roxy volunteered. "C'mon, I don't bute. Hard." She laughed and led John out of the room. They made their way back to the sick wing, where she sat him on a chair and grabbed some alcohol. "This is gonna sting, kiddo." 

 

John gritted his teeth. "I can take it," he insisted. He hissed as the liquid burn on his leg. Roxy cleaned his wound swiftly before starting to bandage it. 

 

"So, where'd ya come from? Probably somewhere north, huh? The accent gives ya away," Roxy told him. 

 

He snorted, handing her a pair of scissors to cut the gauze. "Washington, actually," he said. "My sister and I live there with our dad. We came down here to visit our grandma." 

 

"Ain't that sweet," Roxy commented. She snipped the bandage and taped it in place. "There, that ought to do it. Oh, and kid." She stopped him on his way out the door. Her eyes and voice were serious. "I got my eyes on you, so don't try any funny business."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, that last chapter was kind of short. Despite knowing exactly what I want to do for each chapter, it just won't... word right, ya know? Like, I can't write it the way I want it to be written. Oh, well. I'll just keep trying.

Jake wasn't very surprised when Roxy came back into the kitchen alone. When questioned, she simply said that John had gone upstairs to rest. Jake didn't doubt it. The poor boy had been through a lot. Jane was dishing out the scalloped potatoes when they heard a faint, hoarse female voice from down the hall. Jake excused himself to take a plate to Rose. 

 

Rose's wing of the mansion had changed since he'd last been through it. What had once been pink like Roxy's was now purple and black. There were pictures and drawings of strange symbols on the walls, though Jake recognized few. He wondered briefly if she had discovered some form of dark magic, or magic at all. Jane's mantra ran through his head: "Anything supernatural can't be trusted." 

 

He paused outside of the door to her bedroom, hearing voices from inside. He pressed his ear against the door to hear better. "Why are you trusting me with this?" It was Rose speaking. She sounded confused. This happened so rarely that Jake became confused as well. 

 

"It's simple, really," came another voice. It sounded familiar. "I can trust you with this, because you have a secret, too." The person giggled. "I won't tell anyone if you won't." 

 

"Yes, I-I suppose," Rose stammered out. "Oh, very well, since I doubt I have a choice in the matter." Jake heard footsteps patter towards the door, and barely had time to straighten before the door opened and he came face to face with a very startled young man. 

 

"Jake!" John exclaimed. Jake saw Rose stand up, looking alarmed. "Hey, uh, how long you been here?" He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, glancing back at the girl. She stepped forward, holding her arms out for the tray. 

 

Jake pushed his way past John gently, setting the tray on the nightstand. "Oh, I just got here, chap," he said. Their line of work made him a decent liar, and for once he was grateful. "Roxy said you passed out, Rose. Are you all right?" He smiled at the two of them, wondering what was so secret that they panicked upon his arrival. 

 

Rose smoothed out the front of her dress. It surprised Jake somewhat that she was not in her usual attire: a shirt and a white shirt with a pink cat on the front. However, this dress suited her very well, despite the dark colors of the ensemble. "Yes, I'm fine," she reassured. "I was simply exhausted from being up all night. As you know, I had to mix more antidote." 

 

"Yeah," Jake said slowly. He looked from John to Rose. "Excuse me for being rude, but is something going on here?" Rose snorted so hard she almost fell over, while John simply flushed a deep red. "I mean, you seemed rather alarmed when I came in. Did I interrupt something, perhaps?" 

 

Rose was struggling not to laugh. "Oh, gods, no!" She replied. "Trust me, you interrupted nothing of that sort. We were just talking. If he's going to be with us a while, we might as well get to know him. Besides, he had some question about an injury on his leg." It was a very convincing lie. Jake went along with it, deciding to question Rose later. 

 

After making sure she was alright, Rose kicked the two boys out of her room, telling them to "let me eat in peace, please and thank you." John excused himself from Jake's presence almost immediately, begging exhaustion. Jake let him go to his room only after telling the boy to take it easy for a while, let his leg heal. 

 

Now alone, Jake returned to the kitchen to eat his own lunch. Roxy and Jane were chatting quietly. When he came in, they straightened up. Roxy snickered softly at Jane, who had turned pink. "What?" Jake asked, sitting down and pulling his plate to him. After adding liberal amounts of pepper, he dug in. "Why are you laughing?" 

 

Jane sighed exasperatedly, crossing her arms over her chest. Too late, Jake remembered how she felt about manners and such. He swallowed so quickly he nearly choked. While he was coughing, Jane said, "Jake, I know we just met the boy, but you seem to be getting attached." She looked genuinely concerned. 

 

Once his coughing fit had subsided, Jake looked at his cousin incredulously. "What makes you think that?" He demanded. "I know the rules, Jane, and I'm not getting attached. I'm just making sure he's alright. Those demons almost killed him!" Jane flinched, and he sighed. "I'm sorry, Jane. I shouldn't have yelled. I suppose I'm just a bit touchy on the subject. The blasted things killed Gran, after all." It had been almost 3 years since demons had broken into the house and slaughtered their grandmother. There wasn't a day that went by that the cousins didn't miss her. 

 

Jane patted his shoulder. "It's okay, Jake," she muttered. "I understand. I just want you to be careful, okay? He gives me a bad feeling." She sniffed, and Roxy hugged her without preamble. "I don't want to lose you, too." 

 

Jake felt guilty immediately. "Oh, Jane, I'm sorry," he said. "You won't lose me, I promise." He tried a smile. "I'll always be here to put salt into your tea."

 

This earned him a laugh. She wiped her eyes and nodded. "Just be careful," she repeated. "I don't want to think about what I would do if you were gone." Roxy patted her shoulder gently. "You better not let that happen, buster." She pointed a finger at him. 

 

"Oh, Jane," Jake chuckled. He drew an X across his chest. "I'll always be here. Cross my heart-" 

 

"-and hope to die," the girls finished. They both copied his gesture with smiles. "Now finish eating," Roxy told him. "We got stuff to do later, and you'll need your strength." 

 

Jake nodded and started eating. Jane admonished him for eating so fast. They all laughed. It was the last normal moment they would have for quite some time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! State Testing, you know? Hopefully this chapter won't be as chaotic as the last 2 (knowing me, though, don't count on it)
> 
> The first part of this was posted roughly a month before today's date (6-3-2016) I have decided that, since my writing is terrible and I can't prolong things worth a shit, I'm just going to make these chapters a bit more fast paced. Exactly how fast, I don't know. Be prepared for action and grevious attempts at writing.

It was so hectic around the mansion the next few days, that Rose forgot about Roxy's bedrest and Jake's arm. Everyone was positively frantic to get back to their routine, but that clearly wasn't going to happen. Now that they had one more mouth to feed, and one more body to train, they had to redo the whole schedule. They learned that John kept strange hours, preferring to be up in the mornings and evenings, but not during the afternoon. He told them that it was because he had been home schooled and therefore didn't have a normal sleep schedule. None of them were sure they believed him, though. 

 

It wasn't until Tuesday, three days after John entered the household and four days after they got the scroll, that things seemed to return to normal. Roxy was doing well, having almost recovered from her concussion, but was still rather weak. Jane and Rose were spending hours at a time in the library, trying to decipher the small roll of paper, stopping for nothing except food. That left Jake to watch John. 

 

During the times when John wasn't sleeping or avoiding company, Jake took him through the house. He showed the younger boy most of the rooms in the house: the library, the sitting room, the ballroom. He also told John that the study was off-limits. John, who always seemed eager to explore, swore he wouldn't go in there. Jake wasn't convinced, but he let it slide. 

 

John also learned about the manor's other residents. Jake told him, quite proudly, that Roxy and he himself were 19, while Rose was 16 and Jane was 18. He learned that there had once been more people here, two brothers. Jake confided that he had once had feelings for the elder brother, another 19 year old boy named Dirk, but Dirk and his brother, Dave (who had been Rose's age, and closer to her than even Roxy), had left one day and never returned. They were one of the reasons the gang didn't get too close to anyone other than each other. 

 

Tuesday afternoon, while John was sleeping in his room, Jake made his way down the hall to the library. Upon entry, he stopped to gawk, as he always did. It was two stories tall, the height of the house, and a magnificent room. Books lined every inch of walls that the windows didn't take, and tall ladders were placed here and there for access to the books higher up. Jake's grandmother had always said it was like the library from Beauty and the Beast. Jake agreed wholeheartedly. If he had grown up in another life, Jake often thought, he'd be a bookworm, or some other sort of nerd. 

 

As expected, Jake found the girls sitting at a table, poring over ancient-looking books. The scroll was next to them, still curled up. "Hello, ladies," he greeted. He slid into the chair across from them. "Have you had any luck?" 

 

"Oh, hi, Jake," Jane chirped. She looked tired, but she still spared him a smile. "No, we haven't had much progress. But Rose discovered something earlier when I went to get some lunch. Tell him, Rose." She nudged Rose, who glanced up. 

 

Rose turned the book she was reading to face him. "You do not know demon languages, so I do not expect you to see it. However, I figured out that some of the characters of this language match characters from other languages. A good portion, in fact. I've started a translation, but so far it's just babble. I plan to rearrange some words to see if that helps, but there is still a lot that I can't dechiper. Roxy and Jane have lent what help they could, but this will be a very tough nut to crack." Apparently satisfied by the look of awe on Jake's face, she spun the book once more. 

 

"That's... That's bloody incredible, that is," Jake told her. Jane laughed. "But I think maybe you should rest for a while. You both look dead on your feet. When's the last time either of you slept?" Rose held up 2 fingers, while Jane muttered something. "What was that, Jane?" 

 

"Three days," Jane admitted. She had a look of sheepish embarrassment on her face. 

 

"Christ!" Jake grabbed the book Rose was looking at and snapped it shit. She glared at him. "You two need to get some sleep. Bed, both of you. Now," he added, when Jane started to argue. "Roxy and I can hold down the fort perfectly fine while you get some shut eye." 

 

After much grumbling, and even a few low comments, Jake got the girls to go lay down. Within minutes, he heard light snoring from his cousin's room. He grinned to himself and went to go check on Roxy. She had been in the lounge the last time he had seen her, doing research. He turned that way, knowing that she didn't move when thoroughly ensconced in the hidden Internet forums where they consulted others of their specialty. 

 

Just as he thought, he came into the lounge to see Roxy strewn haphazardously in an armchair. Without looking up, she said, "Hey, Jakey." She didn't give him time to return the greeting before she continued. "How's your arm? Demon poison is nasty, especially from a Breeder." Breeders were the first rung of the species ladder, often used by more powerful demons to do their dirty work. They were the lowest of the low, and the most numerous. 

 

Jake sat on the loveseat, looking down at his arm. It was healing up nicely. "There will definitely be a scar," Jake told her. "But what else is new? It's healing up just fine, still kind of gray around the wound." He prodded it gingerly. Other than being slightly raised, it felt like any other part of his arm. 

 

Roxy raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you should get some more antidote into your system, Jakey. I don't think it's supposed to be gray, still." She set the laptop down and hopped up. She seemed glad to have something to do. "Come on." 

 

"What about your research?" Jake asked, also standing. Together, they made for the study, where Rose has stored the most recent batch. It was too dangerous to keep it in the infirmary. 

 

Roxy snorted. "Nobody knows anythin' about the last language. The most I got was that it's some kind of super secret trickster code, which I'd already kinda figured out. No leads, no translators, fuckin' squat." She was clearly getting aggitated, so Jake decided not to persue the subject any further. 

 

The pair walked down a series of hallways, past Rose's wing and through Roxy's. The study was adjoined to Roxy's wing, so Jake saw these hallways more often than he saw Rose's, or even Jane's. The study itself wasn't a very big room, though they could probably fit about ten people inside during an emergency. This was were they kept all of their important research and discoveries; it was the safest part of the house, excepting maybe the library. 

 

Jake took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the small desk while Roxy pulled out a box. She opened it up and took out a small bottle and a syringe. "Two doses usually kills the poison," she commented. "But it don't seem to be spreadin', so I think it's been neutralized." She came over and grabbed Jake's arm. He tried not to flinch as she pushed the needle into his skin and pressed the stopper down. No matter how often he did this (too often) he never got used to being stuck. 

 

Roxy put the box away and went to sterilize the syringe. Jake got up from the chair slowly, feeling the antidote working its way up his arm to his shoulder, neck, and chest. He hated this part. For the next three hours or so, he would know exactly where the cure was in his body. It was almost as annoying as the constant buzz in his head. 

 

Meanwhile, Roxy was in the kitchen, soaking the syringe in bleach to get the blood and poison off of it. She grabbed an apple to chew on as she disinfected the supplies, to give her something to do. As she stuffed the apple into her mouth and started to wash the needle and its various components, she could have sworn she heard someone yell. When she turned the water off to listen, though, there was nothing but silence. She went back to her work. 

 

In fact, there had been a yell. It had come from Jane, upstairs in her room. She had woken briefly, only to find a figure standing at the end of her bed. Within seconds, she had her trident-knife in hand. Shaped like a three-pronged fork, the prongs themselves were actually blades. Blades Jane kept very, very sharp. What Roxy hadn't heard was the thunk as Jane's weapon embedded itself in the wall, missing its target by mere centimeters. "What are you doing in my room?" She hissed, sitting up. Only now did she recognize the person. "If someone finds you, they'll probably throw you out on your bum!" 

 

The figure gave a sniffle. Decked in a pair of too-large pajama bottoms and the blue hoodie he seems to wear all the time, John looked rather pathetic. He sounded pathetic as well, when he said, "I'm sorry, Jane. I didn't know you were asleep. I just- I had a nightmare, and I thought maybe I could talk to you about it. You remind me of Jade." He looked down, as if embarrassed. "I can leave, if you want to go back to sleep." 

 

Jane, ever the mother figure, frowned. "Of course you can stay, John," she told him. She patted the bed, and he sat after a moment. "You remind me of Jake, you know. He's so hard-working and loyal. He's more like a brother than a cousin to me." She took his hand, then recoiled slightly. It was cold. "Oh, gosh, you're freezing!" She threw a blanket over him, to try and warm him up. "Why on earth are you so cold?" 

 

John cocked his head to the side, looking like a confused puppy. "I'm always cold." He sounded uncertain. "People say I'm too cold, but I don't feel a thing. Why do they say that, Jane?" He asked. Jane rather thought he sounded like a young child. 

 

"Probably because your body temperature seems to be many degrees lower than the average human." Although she looked tired, she rubbed her eyes and stood. "Can you come with me, John? I'd like to do an experiment, but I think I'll need your help."


End file.
